How to improve the welfare of livestock in transport?

a. Welfare inputs:

• Stockperson : Preparation, handling and loading
• Handling facilities
• Design of vehicle
• Driver: Road conditions, weather and temperature
• Genetics and past experience

b. Incentives and penalties

• Economic/ legal
• Audits

General Principles for stockperson (Grandin, 2010a)

a. Preparation:

• Training ‘lead animal’
• Colostrum for calves
• Vaccination
• Hay for cattle who have been on pasture

b. Handling:

• Habituate animals to handlers
• Use flight zone/ point of balance in handling
• Goads/sticks
• Prohibited practices, eg. No throwing

General Principles for handling facilities (Grandin, 2010a)

a. Design around species for sight, hearing, group behavior, etc.

• Move down curved walkways, not around corners
• No light/ dark contrasts and other distraction

b. Non-slip floors eg: scored concrete, rubber mats

• Animals may have sore feet. Eg: pigs on slats, dairy cows
• Weak muscles or joints , eg old cows, large beef animals and pigs

General Principles for vehicle design (Grandin, 2010a)

a. Suitable ramp and loading angle

• Attached to the vehicle
• Separate from vehicle; secondary ( eg. Concrete, wood ) or portable
• Non-slip; concrete steps 10 cm high ( 8 cm for pigs ) and at least 30 cm deep
• Non-slip; bars across it, 5 cm x 5 cm ( 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm for pigs and sheep_)
• Angle; for cattle and pigs not more than 20 degrees.

b. Floor of adequate strength

c. Absorbent floor litter or other means of removing urine and faeces

d. Sufficient space and head room.

e. Adequate ventilation

f. Easy to clean and escape-proof

g. No sharp edges or protrusions

h. Light

General Principles for driver responsibilities (Grandin, 2010a)

a. Understand legal / technical requirement

• Vehicle construction and welfare law
• Load, operate and control vehicle

b. Understand the species

• Behaviour and requirements eg: journey times, rest stops, space
• Signs of stress and ill-health
• Restrictions on transporting casualties
• Euthanasia plans

c. En route

• Effect of climate : temperature and humidity
• Ventilation adjustment

d. Vehicle cleaning and disinfection

General Principles for journey time (Grandin, 2010a)

a. Long distance

• Eg : between continents
• Cumulative risks of stress eg: If species not adapted to climate and handling at the destination
• Multiple journeys if there is a chain of dealers between farmer and abattoir or market
• Best to remove long-distance trade in livestock, if possible
• Educate consumers
• Encourage retailers to source meat, etc. locally
• Provide more local abattoirs and markets
• Audit welfare at local abattoirs and markets

General Principles for incentives and penalties: audits (Grandin, 2010a)

a. Measures of welfare on-farm and during transport to the abattoir

• % of lame animals
• % of thin animals
• % of dirty animals
• % of animals with sores, bruises or lesions
• % who die before slaughter
• % morbidity ( illness or injury)
• % of birds with broken wings and legs

Audits Vs Legislation

a. Audits by retailers using such standards more effective than legal enforcement

• Eg : Prohibited practices
• Dropping of animals
• Throwing animals
• Crushing or breaking tails
• Pulling them by the ears
• Lifting or dragging by body parts such as tail, head, horns, ears, limbs, wool, hair or feathers

Fitness for travel (OIE, 2011)

a. Each animal should be inspected by a veterinarian or an animal handler of fitness to travel is in doubt, the animal should be examined by a veterinarian

General Principles for animals who are unfit for transport (OIE, 2011)

a. Animals who are unfit to travel include, but may not be limited to

• The sick, injured, weak, disabled or fatigued
• Those unable to stand unaided and bear weight on each leg
• Those that are blind in both eyes
• Those that cannot be moved without causing them additional suffering

b. Newborns with an unhealed navel

c. Pregnant animals who would be in the final 10% of their gestation period at the planned time of unloading

d. Females travelling without young, who have given birth within the previous 48 hours

e. Those whose body condition would result in poor welfare because of the expected climatic conditions

f. Animals at risk:

• The very large or obese
• The very young or very old
• Those who are excitable or aggressive
• Animals who get motion sickness eg pigs
• Animals who are unused to humans
• Females in the last third of pregnancy
• Females in heavy lactation
• Culled and spent animals